# how to deposit on lighter

Deposit on Lighter from the Deposit button. With a wallet connected and nothing deposited, the positions panel says your first deposit opens the account. Until then the order button reads Create Account.

## the deposit window

The window is titled for the token you're depositing into: "Deposit USDC Perps" by default. Change it under Select destination token; [what crypto can i deposit on lighter](/lighter/deposit-crypto/) has the full list and which one to pick.

Then choose how the money gets there.

| Tab | Route | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Use Crypto | Wallet | the connected wallet's balance, Instant |
| Use Crypto | Transfer Crypto | No limit, Instant: a deposit address for any chain listed |
| Use Crypto | Connect Exchange | No limit, 2 min: Bybit Pay and Coinbase (Binance, Kraken and Gate say Coming Soon) |
| Use Cash | Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay | $114k limit, Instant |

![Lighter's Deposit USDC Perps window over the ETH Trade page: Select destination token set to USDC (Perps), Collateral; Use Crypto and Use Cash tabs; Transfer Crypto, No limit, Instant, and Connect Exchange, No limit, 2 min. Our Wallet row masked.](https://apebrief.com/assets/media/lighter-deposit-window.png)

Wallet is the short one: the funds already sit in the wallet you connected. Transfer Crypto is for funds somewhere else. Pick a token and a chain, then send to "Your deposit address" or scan the QR code. Each chain has a minimum, $3 or $10, and the window shows the price impact (0.00%), max slippage (Auto, 0.01%) and a processing time of 2 min.

## after the first deposit

"Deposit successful" comes up, and three windows follow, in this order.

1. **Authenticate.** Two signatures: "Sign verification message", then "Verify Ownership". There's a Remember Me tick box, and an "I'll use a multi-sig/smart wallet" option if that's what you deposited from. Press Sign to Continue.

![Lighter's Authenticate window over Deposit successful, after a first ETH deposit: 2 signatures, Sign verification message and Verify Ownership, Remember Me ticked, I'll use a multi-sig/smart wallet unticked, and Sign to Continue. Wallet masked.](https://apebrief.com/assets/media/lighter-authenticate.png)

2. **New fees for advanced order types.** A one-time message: RFQ, Chase, Iceberg and TWAP orders carry a 0.01% fee on Standard, 0.005% on Plus, and regular limit and market orders stay free. Signing it (Agree & Sign) is what turns those four order types on. [lighter fees](/lighter/fees/) has the rest.
3. **Choose your account.** A Premium card, then Continue with Plus instead, and "No thanks, continue with the Standard account". You can switch account types anytime from Portfolio. [lighter standard vs plus vs premium](/lighter/account-types/) helps you pick.

A referral code only counts at sign-up, and on Lighter the first deposit is what opens the account. [the lighter referral](/lighter/referral/) has what the code gets you. If you haven't deposited yet, the link below is our referral link. Already on Lighter without a code? Connect a new wallet through it; its first deposit opens a new account with the code.

> **code apebrief.** Open Lighter through https://go.apebrief.com/lighter/deposit-001-end?src=md&asset=lighter%2Fdeposit&cta=after-resolution and paste the code where the signup shows a code field. Signing up through this link gets you your first week of Lighter Premium free: the fees you pay that week are rebated to you in USDC, which signing up without one does not. We get a commission from Lighter, which helps support our work, at no extra cost to you.

## how we know: every number on this page

- with a wallet connected and nothing deposited, the Trade page has no account: the order button reads Create Account and the positions panel says the first deposit opens an account, with a Deposit button **NO** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, Trade page, wallet connected, nothing deposited: order button 'Create Account'; positions panel 'NO ACCOUNT YET' / 'Your first deposit opens an account, and your open positions appear here.' with a Deposit button.), checked 2026-09-28
- the Deposit window's title follows the destination token, USDC Perps by default; it has a Select destination token picker and two tabs, Use Crypto and Use Cash **Deposit** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026: title 'Deposit USDC Perps' by default, 'Deposit ETH Spot' with ETH picked; 'Select destination token'; tabs 'Use Crypto' and 'Use Cash'.), checked 2026-09-28
- Use Crypto rows and their labels; Use Cash rows and their limit **$114k** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026: Use Crypto: 'Wallet (…xxxx)' with its balance and 'Instant'; 'Transfer Crypto', 'No limit • Instant'; 'Connect Exchange', 'No limit • 2 min'. Use Cash: Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, each '$114k limit • Instant'.), checked 2026-09-28
- Connect Exchange lists Bybit Pay and Coinbase; Binance, Kraken and Gate are marked Coming Soon **Coming** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, Connect Exchange, 'Select an exchange': Bybit Pay, Coinbase; Binance, Kraken, Gate marked 'Coming Soon'.), checked 2026-09-28
- Transfer Crypto gives a deposit address for the wallet, with token and chain pickers, a QR code, and price impact, slippage and processing lines; each chain has a minimum of $3 or $10 **$3** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, Transfer Crypto: 'Tokens' and 'Chains' pickers, a QR code, 'You send USDC → You receive USDC', 'Your deposit address', 'Copy address', 'Price impact: 0.00%', 'Max slippage: Auto • 0.01%', 'Processing time: 2 min'. Chains with minimums: Arbitrum $3, Ethereum $10, Solana $10, BSC $10, Base $3, Tron $10, Bitcoin $10, Polygon $3, HyperEVM $10, Robinhood $3, Optimism $3, Monad $10.), checked 2026-09-28
- after a first deposit, the app shows Deposit successful, then Authenticate: 2 signatures, Sign verification message and Verify Ownership, a Remember Me tick box, a multi-sig/smart wallet option and Sign to Continue **2** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, first deposit of ETH to ETH Spot from a wallet: 'Deposit successful', 'Your funds were successfully deposited'; window 'Authenticate': 'SIGNATURES 2 signatures', '1 Sign verification message', '2 Verify Ownership', 'Remember Me' ticked, 'I'll use a multi-sig/smart wallet' unticked, button 'Sign to Continue'.), checked 2026-09-28
- the one-time New fees for advanced order types window: 0.01% on RFQ, Chase, Iceberg and TWAP on Standard, limit and market orders free, 0.005% on Plus, a one-time signature to use them, Agree & Sign **0.01%** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026, after a first deposit: 'New fees for advanced order types': 'RFQ, Chase, Iceberg, and TWAP orders include a 0.01% fee on Standard account. Regular limit and market orders remain free.' 'To use these features, sign a one-time message authorizing the fee. By signing, you also accept the Terms of Service.' 'On Plus Accounts these orders cost 0.005% instead.' Link 'Switch to Plus or Premium Account', button 'Agree & Sign'.), checked 2026-09-28
- the Choose your account window after a first deposit, and switching later from Portfolio **Choose** (our screenshot, 28 Sep 2026: 'Choose your account': card 'PREMIUM' with 'Continue with Premium'; below, 'Compare account types', 'Continue with Plus instead', 'No thanks, continue with the Standard account'; footer 'Your account is ready, you can switch account types anytime from Portfolio.'), checked 2026-09-28
- the referral code only counts at sign-up and cannot be added later **permanent** (https://docs.lighter.xyz/referral-program), checked 2026-09-28
- a user who joins through a Lighter referral link can activate one week of Premium free; the trial week's trading fees are rebated every Monday, on the first $10M of volume **one** (https://docs.lighter.xyz/referral-program), checked 2026-09-28

## next

- [what crypto can i deposit on lighter](https://apebrief.com/lighter/deposit-crypto/): Lighter's Deposit window takes USDC (Perps), USDC (Spot), ETH and XAUT as collateral, plus AAVE, LDO, LINK, SKY, UNI, AZTEC and LIT without the Collateral tag.
- [lighter standard vs plus vs premium](https://apebrief.com/lighter/account-types/): Standard is free: 0% maker, 0% taker, 300 ms taker latency. Plus charges 0.005% on both sides for higher API limits.
- [lighter referral code: apebrief, and the free premium week](https://apebrief.com/lighter/referral/): Our Lighter referral code is apebrief.
- [lighter fees: free on standard, and what costs money](https://apebrief.com/lighter/fees/): Lighter charges Standard accounts 0% maker and 0% taker on perps and spot.
- [hyperliquid vs lighter: fees, the code and getting money in](https://apebrief.com/vs/hyperliquid-lighter/): Hyperliquid for most perp traders: it's the more established venue, a code takes 4% off your fees for your first $25M of volume, and the code can go on after sign-up.

---
HTML version: https://apebrief.com/lighter/deposit/ · figures checked 2026-09-28